Cruel online theories that “foul play” was involved in the disappearance of Gus Lamont need to stop, a family friend has pleaded, as police scale back their search for the missing four-year-old.

August ‘Gus’ Lamont was last seen playing in sand at his family’s sheep station, about 40km south of Yunta, about 320km north of Adelaide, South Australia, about 5pm last Saturday, August 27.

In the over a week since, conspiracy theories have emerged online accusing the Lamont family of “foul play” in the young boy’s tragic disappearance.

Addressing the “heartbreaking” speculation, longtime family friend Fleur Tiver, from Yunta, said: “There is no way they’ve harmed this child”.

“The family would not have harmed this child even if the world was about to come to an end, which it really has now for them,” Ms Tiver told The Advertiser.

Gus was last seen at his family’s sheep station last Saturday. Picture: SA Police
“I think it’s unfortunate people are speculating, because things like this pain the family, but I do understand that when there are so many unanswered questions, people will naturally try to fill in the gaps, even if their theories are implausible and impractical.”

Ms Tiver, who said her family has been close to the Lamonts for 130 years after settling on neighbouring stations, described Gus’ family as “kind”, “gentle” and “trustworthy”.

“They embody everything about humans that can be good,” she said.

Ms Tiver said she hasn’t given up hope on finding Gus and believes the four-year-old could still be somewhere on his family’s 60,000ha outback property.

“If he just got into a little creek down under a bush and has just hidden there – and isn’t running around and getting dehydrated – he could be hiding somewhere.”

Ms Tiver believes the four-year-old could still be somewhere on his family’s 60,000ha outback property. Picture: NewsWire/Dean Martin

Police, the SES and locals have scoured the countryside for any sign of Gus. Picture: Dean Martin
It comes after SA Police Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott announced on Friday that police would scale back their search, saying “we’ve all been hoping for a miracle, but that miracle has not eventuated”.

“We’re confident that we’ve done absolutely everything we can to locate Gus within the search area, but despite our best efforts, we have not been able to locate him, and unfortunately, we are now having to scale back this search for Gus,” he told reporters.

Police have allocated massive resources over the past few days, with volunteers, divers, helicopters, all terrain vehicles and members of the Australian Defence Force fanned out over some 470 sqkm to try to find the boy, who has been missing for over a week now without access to food or water.

“Everything we have found to date … indicates that as best as we know, Gus has wandered off from this property and we have not being able to locate him,” Assistant Comm Parrott said.

“This is clearly now what appears to be a very tragic set of circumstances. We hold out hope we may be able to find Gus and return him to his family, but clearly that potential is diminishing as days goes by.”

Assistant Comm Parrott said investigations into the tragedy would still continue.

“We will not rest until we can try and find the answer, why Gus has gone missing.”

Police announced of Friday they would scale back their search. Picture: Dean Martin
Unwanted calls

The boy’s family have released a photo of their curly-haired son, in the hopes of attracting new information.

But the photo has prompted unwanted calls from the public, Senior Constable Peter Williams told ABC Radio Adelaide on Friday.

“I do remind people that the purpose of the image going out is for anyone who’s got actual information that may assist the investigation,” he said.

“We just ask people, we’re not after your opinions. We’re after help with the investigation.

“If it is just an opinion, perhaps keep it to yourself, but if you’ve got factual information, feel free to give us a call and provide that.”

Police have allocated massive resources to try and find the boy. Picture: Dean Martin
‘Recovery phase’

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Yorke Mid North Superintendent Mark Syrus said police had grave fears for the boy, and had changed their rescue into a “recovery phase”.

“A four-year-old doesn’t disappear into thin air, he has to be somewhere,” he said.

“Hopefully, he’s hanging in there alive, but we are now in recovery phase, and the fact he’s been gone over 100 hours and six days, that’s a long time to be out in the elements.”

Assistant Commissioner Parrott said investigations would still continue despite the search being scaled back. Picture: Dean Martin
Former neighbour speaks out

Former neighbour Royce Player told reporters on Thursday that he thought rescuers “might’ve found him by now”.

“Doesn’t take much, and if he’s frightened he’ll be hiding. Let’s hope he’s still out there,” he said.

Mr Player said the child was small, and could be easily missed if the rescue team was stretched metres apart.

“He’s not very big, so it doesn’t hurt to backtrack and go over your tracks several times,” he said.

Mr Player used to live next door to the family and dropped everything to help the search efforts.

“I thought ‘bugger this’ last night – I gotta do something,” he said, adding the little boy just “wants his mum”.

“I’m a parent, so yeah … well, I don’t know what it would be like, but I wouldn’t like to go through it myself.”

– With NCA Newswire